NCJ Number
110966
Journal
Social Casework Volume: 69 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1988) Pages: 81-87
Date Published
1988
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article focuses on the impact of the Family Options project in two Chicago police districts concerning police response to domestic violence.
Abstract
As is indicated by several major studies, police response to domestic violence has been at best controversial. Police are reluctant to become involved in family disputes, have been accused of siding with male batterers, and fail to comply with legislative directives. One of the primary objectives of the Family Options program was to encourage police to refer clients to the program. It was thought that the program intervention would lead to an increased number of emergency calls verfieid as domestic violence and would more accurately reflect the actual number of incidents occurring in the community. The impact that Family Options had in each of the two police districts in which it operated was assessed in two ways: (1) involving an examination of emergency 911 calls for police service over a 30-month period and (2) comparing the number of referrals police made to the program and the number of incidents of domestic violence gleaned from the 911 calls. Three categories of 911 calls were established: (1) domestic violence calls, (2) miscellaneous calls, and (3) all others. Results indicate that Family Options had a different impact in each police district. All calls declined over time in each district. One district made greater use of the miscellaneous classification. One district had a higher level of referrals to the program, which increased steadily over time. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 7 footnotes.